Sporting manager Rui Borges has addressed the collapse of Jota Silva’s move from Nottingham Forest, admitting his disappointment at the outcome of the failed negotiation.
Speaking to the [**Portuguese press**](https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/sporting/rui-borges/rui-borges-triste-com-o-negocio-de-jota-silva-infelizmente-ha-duas-partes) this Friday, the coach explained how the winger had been a clear target for the Lisbon club.
According to Borges, Sporting had identified Jota Silva early on as a priority for his position and worked with the board to try to secure the deal. _“Since the end of last season we had identified what we wanted for each position. Within the dialogue between the structure and the coach, it was very clear what the objective was with Jota,”_ he said.
The manager stressed that the club pushed hard to get the agreement done, but ultimately the process fell through due to difficulties in aligning with Nottingham Forest. _“Unfortunately there are two sides: Sporting and Nottingham. For everything that was the rush… unfortunately we couldn’t get it done,”_ Borges explained, adding that the failure was not down to lack of effort from either him or the board.
Borges made clear that his disappointment was also for the player himself, whom he considers a talent that could have made an impact at Alvalade. _“Of course I was sad, more so for the athlete, because he is someone I like a lot and I believe he would have helped us,”_ he said.
After the Portuguese window had already shut, Jota Silva ended up moving elsewhere, securing a transfer to Besiktas from Nottingham Forest. That left Sporting empty-handed, with Borges and his staff now needing to explore alternative options inside their own squad.